Playing with Your Words

I’ve always loved playing with words, from creating word ladder puzzles for a trivia website to editing. In word ladder puzzles, we see how small, deliberate changes can transform one word into another, just as careful revisions can transform a rough draft. I’ve created a few writing-themed puzzles to help you have a little fun with language.

How to play: Start with one word and change it into a new word one step at a time, altering only a single letter at each “rung” on the ladder, until you reach the final target word.

Puzzle #1: Legends & Myth

F O L K

____ Spoon’s mate

____ Golfer’s warning

L O R E

Puzzle #2: One More Chapter

T U R N

____ Commit arson

____ Setting of Charlotte’s Web

____ Unadorned

____ Diminish gradually

P A G E

Puzzle #3: Character Motivations

HERO

____ Roll call reply

____ Parisian papa

____ Skin opening

____ Fishing stick

____ Mete out

____ Barbie, for one

____ Knell

____ Jerk

____ Dunce

____ Colt or filly

GOAL